Networks jump with joy as Apple TV faces a delay

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Apple TV is on track to miss the original late September schedule and will probably slip to next month. And because it split broadcasters who hate the idea of inexpensive television rentals, they must be jumping with joy right now. What went wrong? According to the blogosphere, Apple is sending notices to an unknown portion of early buyers who pre-ordered the $99 set-top box with priority shipping.

The company says it won’t be able deliver orders on time:

Our records indicate that when you placed your order you paid for upgraded shipping. Due to a delay, we may have not been able to meet our delivery commitment.

Apple is issuing refunds for the shipping charges, Apple Insider reported. At the same time, folks who opted for standard shipping haven’t heard back from Apple. The online Apple store showed no change at press time and still lists the device with a “2-3 weeks” shipping time. With less than a week before the month’s end, it would seem we’re in for a possible multi-week delay. Moreover, the mention of “a delay” in Apple’s email suggests we won’t see the Apple TV arrive in late September, as originally promised.

Apple Insider thinks Apple is only emailing the people who recently ordered the device. Those who pre-ordered it following the September 1 introduction are now seeing their credit cards charged, which is always a tell-tale sign of imminent shipping. Maybe Apple sold out the initial allotment and is simply unable to fulfill recent orders?

Whatever the reason, broadcasters are jumping on the opportunity to publicly criticize 99-cent television episodes Apple announced alongside the new Apple TV. Only Walt Disney’s ABC and News Corp’s Fox backed Apple’s move, and only after reportedly tedious talks. Fox told investors its involvement was only a “short-term test.”

NBC Universal’s chief Jeff Zucker slammed the idea, arguing cheap TV rentals “devalue” his company’s content and advising people buy their TV downloads on iTunes for two bucks per episode. Similarly, Viacom says the price point “doesn’t work” for them and CBS is employing a wait-and-see approach.

Regulators are currently reviewing Comcast’s merger with NBC Universal. That said, it’s not surprising NBC is cautious not to antagonize Comcast and its cable business by discounting its shows on iTunes. Mind you, this is the same network that famously took down video downloads from the iTunes Store over Apple’s refusal to hike the show prices, only to return to the service months later.